My goal for the 2013-2014 year is to implement Reggio-Emilia style documentation into my classroom. As Reggio Emilia is focused on infant-toddler and preschool aged children, I plan to adapt the documentation to put a spin on it where the kids do a lot of their own documenting, as well as comment on each others work. Do I know how I am going to do this? Not one bit! And thus my journey begins!
What is Documentation?
Documentation is a compilation of different forms of media showing the process of a child's (or group of children's) learning journey. Unlike a display which focuses on the final product, documentation includes reflections, photographs, videos, plans, idea webs, etc from throughout a project. It also shows the initial provocation. From what I understand there is no one right way to document in this style as long as documents create a conversation between all of the stakeholders (the child, the parents, the teacher) and allows for all parties to have an idea of where the child came from, where they are now, and a sense of the next steps that should be taken.
A great video on what documentation is can be found on Vimeo. It is called "Documentation: Transforming our Perspective". Check it out:
A great video on what documentation is can be found on Vimeo. It is called "Documentation: Transforming our Perspective". Check it out:
Why is Documentation more appealing than other forms of assessment?
Everyone has their favourite forms of assessment, and I am certainly not knocking those. After all, I have yet to implement documentation so I use a ton of other forms of assessment as well! However, here are some of the wonderful things that this style of assessment brings forward:
1) Much like a portfolio, it is an ongoing picture of a child's learning journey, rather than a snapshot of their progress.
2) The importance is placed on the child as being vital to the process. They are not just a passive follower but they are a leader in their own learning.
3) Teachers are expected to be researchers, and use the documentation as a primary source of their research.
4) Documentation tells a story (albeit a never-ending story!) which is easier for parents to understand.
It has also been called "pedagogical narration" and a "learning story".
5) It encourages children to be critical thinkers. They are asked about why they choose to do something, they are required to wonder about what to do next, why their peers may have differing opinions. They have to make plans and then reevaluate them.
6. It requires teachers to be both theorists and practitioners. Oftentimes we get caught in the trap of being practicing teachers, and forget the fact that we should be, at all times, doing active research in our classroom. This form of Documentation emphasizes that I must hypothesize, analyze, interpret, and reflect in a much more purposeful manner then I might have previously done.
1) Much like a portfolio, it is an ongoing picture of a child's learning journey, rather than a snapshot of their progress.
2) The importance is placed on the child as being vital to the process. They are not just a passive follower but they are a leader in their own learning.
3) Teachers are expected to be researchers, and use the documentation as a primary source of their research.
4) Documentation tells a story (albeit a never-ending story!) which is easier for parents to understand.
It has also been called "pedagogical narration" and a "learning story".
5) It encourages children to be critical thinkers. They are asked about why they choose to do something, they are required to wonder about what to do next, why their peers may have differing opinions. They have to make plans and then reevaluate them.
6. It requires teachers to be both theorists and practitioners. Oftentimes we get caught in the trap of being practicing teachers, and forget the fact that we should be, at all times, doing active research in our classroom. This form of Documentation emphasizes that I must hypothesize, analyze, interpret, and reflect in a much more purposeful manner then I might have previously done.
Where are you starting?
I found this article called, "Learning to Document" which goes through the steps that teachers experience when beginning the process of documentation in their classroom. It details the steps as follows:
I have to of course add my own step of "Reading a million blogs and scouring Pinterest". One of my favourite blog posts I have found so far is from Miss Reggio Blog and is called "8 Ways to Document Children's Learning"
She gives many ideas for different formats you could use for presenting student learning stories some of which you can see below:
- developing habits of documenting,
- becoming comfortable with going public with recountings of activities,
- developing visual literacy skills,
- conceptualizing a purpose of documentation as making learning visible, and
- sharing visible theories with others for interpretation and further design of curriculum.
I have to of course add my own step of "Reading a million blogs and scouring Pinterest". One of my favourite blog posts I have found so far is from Miss Reggio Blog and is called "8 Ways to Document Children's Learning"
She gives many ideas for different formats you could use for presenting student learning stories some of which you can see below:
I will keep y'all updated as my own learning journey begins!